The following patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,632 discloses a condiment dispensing apparatus for dispensing a condiment by controlling condiment pump activation and opening and closing of the dispensing outlet without requiring electronic circuitry. The apparatus employs pneumatic devices to open and close the dispensing outlet and to drive the condiment pump and a mechanical mechanism to synchronize pump activation and opening and closing of the dispensing outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,420 discloses a condiment drawback valve for a condiment dispensing system, which compensates for run-on from a depressurized pump during deactivation and draws back any hanging condiment left in the dispensing outlet of the system, thereby eliminating drips after the pump is stopped.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,736 discloses a condiment dispensing apparatus for dispensing condiments from a bag-in-box-type container. The dispenser includes a high durometer compressible elastomeric liquid flow tube, an infeed and outfeed thereto and therefrom, and a movable anvil with a round surface to compress the tube. An opposed stationary anvil holds the tube for compression by the movable anvil. The tube is held between the anvils in a slightly compressed state even when the anvil is retracted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,466 discloses a condiment dispensing system for delivering a measured quantity of condiment at a desired flow rate. The system includes a pump which is fluidly connected to a condiment source and a dispensing apparatus. A valve assembly is connected to a pressurized fluid source and to the pump, whereby actuation of the valve assembly causes a measured quantity of the condiment to be dispensed from an outlet nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,117 discloses a system for selectively dispensing condiments for items of food. The system includes a plurality of condiment containers, a dispenser head having a plurality of input passages, an outlet nozzle, and valves for controlling fluid flow from each of the input passages to the outlet nozzle. The system further includes a plurality of fluid flow lines, with a line connecting each condiment container to a corresponding dispenser head input passage, and a fluid pump in each of the fluid flow lines whereby an operator can dispense selected condiments from the nozzle onto a food item.